Old fashioned coconut cream pie with meringue

Name: Old fashioned coconut cream pie with meringue
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Pie crust (either homemade or store bought, prebaked in a 9-inch pie pan); 4 large egg yolks; 1/4 cup cornstarch (sifted); 1 can full fat coconut milk; 1 cup whipping cream or half and half; 2/3 cup white sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut; 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature); 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste alternatively you could use vanilla extract or one vanilla bean (split with the seeds scraped); 3 egg whites; 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of white sugar; 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar